Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In Ezra Pound's "The Return," the poem dwells on the theme of a complex homecoming-full of hesitation, uncertainty, and perhaps even regret. The poem opens with an observation: "See, they return; ah, see the tentative / Movements, and the slow feet." Immediately, the reader senses the apprehension in those who are returning. They're not rushing back with enthusiasm; rather, they exhibit "tentative / Movements" and "slow feet."

The poem captures the tension between the need to return and the ambivalence of actually doing so: "The trouble in the pace and the uncertain / Wavering!" The returnees are likened to "snow" that should "hesitate / And murmur in the wind, and half turn back." This vivid simile encapsulates the deep conflict of emotions-just as snow might be caught in a swirling wind, uncertain where to land, the individuals are unsure about their return.

The returning figures are described as the "Wing'd-with-Awe," a term that lends them an almost mythic or divine stature. Are they warriors, gods, or spirits? We are not told directly, but they are "Inviolable," suggesting a sacred or honored status. The "Gods of the winged shoe" seem to be a nod to Hermes, the messenger god in Greek mythology, known for his speed and winged sandals. This could imply that those who are returning were messengers or harbingers of some sort. But if they were once swift and resolute, why the hesitation now?

The "silver hounds" and the cry "Haie! Haie!" introduce an element of the hunt. These were individuals who were "swift to harry" and "keen-scented," perhaps once relentless in pursuit of their goals or ideals. Yet, the concluding lines: "Slow on the leash, / pallid the leash-men!" create an image of weariness and loss of vigor. The leash-men, presumably those who guide or control the hounds or even the returning figures, are "pallid," devoid of the life force that once infused them.

"The Return" is rife with ambiguity and textured with an emotional complexity that invites multiple interpretations. At its core, however, it seems to grapple with the themes of change, loss, and the complexity of returning-whether to a place, a state of being, or perhaps to one's original ideals or aspirations. While the act of returning should be a resolution, it is fraught with a sense of incompleteness and existential dilemma. The hesitation captured in the poem mirrors our own apprehensions about revisiting the past or returning to a former self-ever complex, ever fraught, and always inherently human.

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